Improvement in grain-drills



J. M. SMITH 8v H. W. G. THOMAS. Grain-Drill.

No. (13,227. Patented Feb.12. 1878.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFEIcE.

JOSHUA M. SMITH AND HENRY W. O. THOMAS, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT ljN GRA IN-DR'|LLS.

Specificationforming part of Letters Patent No. 200,227, dated February12, 1878; application filed June 5,1877.

To all whom it may concern:

tion of the same.

der the hopper into the hoes..

from a straight to a V-shaped or diagonal rank, in order to convey allcollected rubbish off to the sides of the drill, where it is discharged;also, in the construction of an automatic spring-hoe; also, in theconstruction and arrangement of the grain-feed wheels with adjustabledistributing-apertures; also, in the construction and arrangement of agrass-seed distributer and evener'; and in a shaft-coupling, by means ofwhich the seedcups can be independently removed for any cause withouttaking the drill to pieces and removing the entire shaft; and in otherdetails, all as will be herein described and specifically claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to which our invention belongs tomake and use the same, we would thus proceed to describe it,

referring to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 represents aplan view of our improved drill. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of ourimproved grain-feed wheel and appliances. Fig. 3 is an end elevation ofthe same. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of our improved grassseed wheel,distributer, and operating devices.

I Figs. 5 and 6 are, respectively, end 'and side .elevations of ourimproved shaft-coupling.

Figs. 7 and 8 are, respectively, side and plan views of our improvedspring-hoe.

The frame-work of our drill is of the ordinary construction, consistingof the side and end beams A and B, tongue 0, hopper D, andsupporting-wheels E. Half-way between each 3 side beam and the tongue isbolted a flat metal Be it known that we, JOSHUA M. SMITH and HENRY W. O.THOMAS, of Springfield, in the; county of Clarke and State of Ohio, havein- 5 ventedcertain new and useful Improvements 5 in Grain-Drills; andwe do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescripbar, F, to the end beams, as represented. At the forward ends ofthese bars F are pivoted, one to the upper and the other to the underside of each, two wooden bars or beams, G G, as seen in Fig. 1. Theselatter are united by the drag-bar staples a, which are pivoted betweenthem, as seen. This arrangement always in- This invention relates tothat class of seed and grain drills in which it is desirable to changethe ranks of the hoes to adapt themto the soil to be drilled, and inwhich the grain is directed through feeding-cups arranged unsures theparallelism of the bars G G and of the staples a, which is an essentialfeature of our invention.

A lever, H, pivoted to the side of the tongue, has its lower endconnected to the abutting 1' ends of the beams G or G, and is retainedat Our improvements consist in connecting the, drag-bars to sets ofadjustable bars operatedby a lever, so that the hoes can be shifted anydesired point by means of a notched segment-plate, 1, upon the tongue,as in Fig. l.

The operation of this portion of our invention is as follows When thelever H is thrown forward the beamsG G lie in the same line, and thehoes are then in single rank; but when it is thrown backward, as seeninFig. l, the beams G G have their convergent ends thrown forward andtheir outer ends backward, as represented. This shifts the hoes from astraight to a V-shaped rank, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. Byso shifting them all the rubbish which might otherwise cling to andobstruct the hoes is thrown off to each side, where it is dischargedunder the tread of the wheels. This we consider an es sential and novelfeature in the arrangement of the hoes, and one which is of greatpractical advantage.

The same result could be accomplished by having simply two parallelbeams extending entirely across the front of the drill-frame, andpivoted at their middle or at'either end to the frame, and having thepieces a connected to them, as before described. A lever connected tothese bars could shift the hoes from a straight to a diagonal rank,whereby the collected rubbish would be diverted to the side; or thebeams herein described might be shifted into two parallel diagonalranks, for effecting the same result, inasmuch as we do not propose tolimit ourselves to any particular shape of the rank of hoes further thanthat theymust be inclined sufficiently to divert any collected rubbishto the side.

Our grain-feeder consists of a cup or shell, J, Figs. 2 and 3, of theshape shown, and

which is attached in the usual way to the under side of the seed-box orhopper. A portion of one side of the cup is cut away to admit the sideof the feed-wheel K. This feed-wheel is bell-shaped, with a broadflange, as seen in Fig. 3. The periphery of the bell'shaped portion 19is cut awayto form depressions or cups, with intervening ridges, asshown, and upon the inner side of the flange s are radial ridges,slightly raised.

To regulate the quantity of grain drilled, we key upon a rock-shaft, L,that extends across the drill under the hopper, and has its bearings inthe cups, as seen, adjustable bottom pieces or cutoffs m, shown bydotted lines in Fig. 2, and in end view, Fig. 3. The end edges of thesecut-offs conform to the shape of the bell portion of the feed-wheels. Anindex-arm upon the end of the rock-shaft, in connection with a dial,enables the attendant to sow any ascertained quantity of grain.

For sowing oats this form of wheel and adjustable bottom is especiallyuseful, as it prevents any bunching or choking of the grain.

We are aware that it is not new to pivot an adjustable cut-off operatedby a rock-shaft in the bottom of a seed-cup, to vary the size of thedischarge-aperture when such cut-off is between the sides of the cupsand at right angles thereto.

Our cut-off, it will be noti.ced,is confined between the flange of thefeed-wheel and the side of the cup, and is not at right anglestherewith, but inclined, as represented,for the purpose of preventingany bunching of the grain, for by this arrangement thedischarging-channel is bound by two distributing-surfaces, and is adecided advantage. The shaft N, driven by the supporting-wheels and anysuitable gearing, has its bearings in the seedcups,and is divided intosections carrying one or more of the feed-wheels. To unite thesesections, we provide the coupling, Figs. 5 and 6. This coupling is asleeve in two parts, with a fluted bore. At the bottom the two parts arehinged togetherby a lug and car, as shown, and are clamped together, asshown, at the top by a set-screw, c. The coupling is fitted upon thejoints of the shaft, and, by means of the set-screw, firmly unites them.The advantage of this arrangement is that, if any of the feed wheels orcups are broken or disordered, they can be removed, with their sectionof the shaft, without requiring the displacement of the entire set.

0, Fig. 4, represents one of our grass-seed feed-cups which are securedto the bottom of the grass-seed hopper P. A feed-wheel similar to theone above described, or of any suitable construction, may be employedand operated by a shaft, R, that receives motion from the shaft Nthrough the medium of sprocketwheels and a chain. (Represented in dottedlines, Fig. 4.) S is a rock-shaft, having its bearings in the cups 0,and provided with segmental arms or pieces d, that fit intocircumferential discharge-slots in the cup, as shown.

By means of anindex-arm, e, and dial suitably arranged, the segments (1can be made to open or close the discharge-orifices at the will of theattendant. Just under the openings in the feed-cups is hung, in anyconvenient manner, a reciprocating trough or distributer, T, Figs. 1 and4. The bottom of this trough is fluted, and the bottom edge of its rearside is cut away to form openings, through which the grassseed or graincan pass. The trough receives longitudinal reciprocating motion by meansof a cam-wheel, g, with zigzag periphery, upon the shaft N, actingagainst a slotted bearing, h, projecting from the bottom of the trough.

The remaining feature of our invention consists of the spring-hoe, Figs.7 and 8. Be tween the ends of the dragbar beams 1', in the rear, ispivoted the hoe j, in the usual manner. 70 k are two flat bars whichconverge in the rear, and are pivoted to a projecting ear upon the reartop side of the hoe, as shown. Between the bars 6, as shown, abouthalfway of their length, is pivoted an arm, I, of the shape represented,and the bars k are united by a pivot, m, which passes through the armlat a point a little in the rear of its pivot. A flat steel spring, a,secured to the bars '5, presses upon the ends of the bars it, just overthe pivot of the arm I, as shown. This arrangement of the bars forms atoggle-joint which is easily held in place by the spring, unless the hoemeets with a heavy obstruction or sudden jar, which would break thetoggle-joint and allow the hoe to trip and safely pass the obstacle,when the force of the spring would again reset it for use.

Having thus fully described our :invention, we claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a grain-drill, two bars or sets ofbars, G G, to which the drag-bars are attached, pivoted in the frame ofthe machine, whereby they may be swung by a lever or equivalent deviceto change the hoes from a straight to a V-shaped or diagonal rank, orvice versa, as set forth.

2. The pivotal connecting pieces or staples a, pivoted to the bars G G,as set forth,

whereby the parallelism of both is maintained, substantially in themanner and for the purpose specified. I

3. The arrangement and combination, with the feed-wheel K, of theinclined segmental cut-off m upon the rock-shaft L, whereby thedischarge-channel is composed of two distributing-surfaces, and can beregulated at will, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with the seed-cup and feed-wheel of a grain-drill,of a sectional shaft, united by couplings, whereby one or more cups maybe disconnected and removed without disturbin g the whole set,substantially in the manner specified.

5. The sleeve coupling herein described, consisting of the hingedsections with a fluted bore, and clamped upon the shaft by at setscrew,0, in the manner and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination, with the driving-shaft of a grain-drill, providedwith suitable connecting-gearing, of the reciprocatingdistributing-trough 'l, hung under the discharge-orifices of theseed-cups, in the manner and for the purpose specified.

7. The herein-described spring-hoe, composed of the drag-bar i, pivotedarm 1, bars 70,

and spring n, the-parts being connected and united to the hoe,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

Witness our hands this 21st day of May, A. D. 1877.

JOSHUA M. SMITH. HENRY W. O. THOMAS.

I Witnesses:

O. B. JoHNsoN, JAMES JOHNS0N7J1.

